Wrench opening

ABSTRACT

A wrench cooperating with a fastener, the fastener having a plurality of surfaces joint each other at respective corners of the fastener. The wrench comprises: driving cylindrical member including an enclosed opening formed therein and having six corner spaces and six sides provided therein, said six sides of said driving cylindrical member each including two cambered bulges formed and provided therein for engaging with the surfaces of the fastener, and a recess formed between said cambered bulges respectively.

[0001] This is a continuation in part of U. S. patent Ser. No.10/211,645, assigned to and invented by the inventor of the presentinvention. The contents of the U. S. patent Ser. No. 10/211,645 areincorporated into the present invention as a part of the presentinvention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a wrench, and more particularlyto a wrench having a wrench opening for engaging with the flat surfacesof the fasteners.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Various kinds of typical wrenches have been developed for drivinghexagonal fasteners which have a plurality of substantially flat andplanar surfaces that join each other at respective edges or corners ofthe fasteners.

[0006] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,764 assigned to Andersen, U.S.Pat. No. 4,765,211 assigned to Colvin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,392 assignedto Ruzicka et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,486 assigned to Ruzicka et al,and U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,024 assigned to Hsieh, disclose several of thetypical wrenches and comprise a substantially hexagonal wrench openingformed therein, and having rounded spaces formed in the corners forreceiving the corners of the fasteners, and for allowing the fastenersto be slightly rotated relative to the wrench.

[0007] The typical wrenches comprise a number of edges or teeth orcambered bulges for engaging with the corners of the fasteners, and fordriving or rotating the fasteners. However, when the edges or thecorners of the fasteners are rounded or have been worn out, thefasteners may no longer be rotated or driven by the typical wrenches.

[0008] Some of the typical wrenches have rounded or curved camberedbulges extended into the wrench opening for engaging with the planersurfaces of the fasteners. However, when the wrench is rotated relativeto the fastener, the edges or the corners of the fasteners will also berotated to engage with the wrench so as to be driven by the wrench, suchthat the fastener can be driven by the wrench. The wrench may also no beused for rotating or driven the fasteners having rounded corners or wornout corners.

[0009] The present invention has aimed to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional wrenches.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide awrench including a wrench opening for engaging with the flat surfaces ofthe fasteners instead of engaging with the corners or the fasteners, andfor allowing the wrench to drive the fasteners when the corners of thefasteners are rounded or have been worn out.

[0011] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provideda wrench cooperating with a fastener, wherein the fastener includes aplurality of surfaces joining each other at respective corners of thefasteners, the wrench comprising a driving cylindrical member includingan enclosed opening formed therein and having six sides providedtherein, the six sides of the driving cylindrical member each includingtwo cambered bulges formed and provided therein for engaging with thesurfaces of the fastener, and a recess formed between the camberedbulges respectively.

[0012] The driving cylindrical member further includes three projectionsextended in the recesses thereof respectively and extended and disposedbetween the cambered bulges.

[0013] The wrench includes a handle having a first end and a second end,a driving cylindrical member disposed on the first and of the handle,and a head provided on the second end of the handle, the head includesan open opening formed and defined between two parallel wrench flats,and two cambered bulges extended from each of the wrench flatsrespectively, and a recess formed between the cambered bulgesrespectively, for allowing the cambered bulges to engage with a middleportion of the surface of the fastener that is spaced from the cornersof the fastener.

[0014] The head include two projections extended in the recesses thereofrespectively and extended and disposed between the cambered bulges ofeach of wrench flats of the head.

[0015] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from a careful reading of a detailed descriptionprovided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanyingdrawings.

[0016] The various objects and advantages of the present invention willbe more readily understood from the following detailed description whenread in conjunction with the appended drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wrench in accordance with thepresent invention;

[0018]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the wrench;

[0019]FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6 are partial top plan views illustrating theoperation of the wrench;

[0020]FIG. 7 is a partial exploded view illustrating a socket having awrench opening of the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of thesocket are shown in FIG. 7 to be driven by a wrench tool;

[0022]FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment ofthe wrench;

[0023]FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the wrench as shown in FIG. 9;

[0024]FIGS. 11, 12, 13, 14 are partial top plan views illustrating theoperation of the wrench as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10;

[0025]FIG. 15 is a partial exploded view illustrating a socket having awrench opening similar to that shown in FIGS. 9-11 and 13; and

[0026]FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of thesocket as shown in FIG. 15 to be driven by a wrench tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] In order that those skilled in the art can further understand thepresent invention, a description will be described in the following indetails. However, these descriptions and the appended drawings are onlyused to cause those skilled in the art to understand the objects,features, and characteristics of the present invention, but not to beused to confine the scope and spirit of the present invention defined inthe appended claims.

[0028] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, awrench in accordance with the present invention heads 2, 3 provided onone or both the ends thereof, for receiving and for driving hexagonalfasteners 4 (FIGS. 3-6).

[0029] For example, the fasteners 4 each has a plurality of or threepairs of substantially flat and planar surfaces 41 that join each otherat respective edges or corners 42 of the fasteners 4. For example, thehead 2 includes an open opening 21 formed therein, and the other head 3includes an enclosed opening 31 formed therein for receiving thefasteners 4.

[0030] The driving head 2 includes two wrench flats 22 which areparallel to each other and spaced apart a sufficient distance to looselyaccommodate the confronting flat surfaces 41 of the hexagonal fastener4, and two rounded cambered bulges 23 extended from each of the wrenchflats 22 respectively, such as extended from the middle portions of thewrench flats 22 respectively, and a curved recess 24 formed between thecambered bulges 23 of the respective wrench flats 22 (FIGS. 9, 10, 12,14).

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 6, the driving head 2 furtherincludes a projection 25 extended in the curved recess 24 thereof andlocated between the rounded cambered bulges 23, and preferably steeperthan that of the rounded cambered bulges 23, for engaging with themiddle portions of the respective edges or corners 42 of the fasteners4.

[0032] In operation, as shown in FIGS. 4, 12, when the head 2 is rotatedrelative to the fastener 4, the rounded cambered bulges 23 end/or thesteeper projection 25 of the driving head 2 may be driven to engage withthe inner or middle portions of the flat surfaces 41 of the fasteners 4that are spaced from the corners 42 of the fasteners 4, and will not beengaged with the corners 42 of the fasteners 4, such that the drivinghead 2 may also be used to rotate or to drive the fasteners 4 havingrounded or worn out corners 42, as shown in FIGS. 6, 14.

[0033] The driving head 3 includes six corner spaces 32 formed orprovided in the enclosed opening 31 thereof for receiving the corners 41of the fastener 4, and includes six sides each having two roundedcambered bulges 33 extended inwardly into the enclosed opening 31thereof and a curved recess 34 formed between the cambered bulges 33 ofthe respective sides of the driving head 3 (FIGS. 9-11, 13).

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, and 5, the driving head 3 further includesa projection 35 extended in each of the curved recesses 34 thereof thelocated between the rounded cambered bulges 33, and preferably steeperthan that of the rounded cambered bulges 33, for engaging with themiddle portions of the respective edges or corners 42 of the fasteners4.

[0035] In operation, as shown in FIGS. 3, 11, when the head 3 is rotatedrelative to the fastener 4, the rounded cambered bulges 33 and/or thesteeper projection 35 of the driving head 3 may be caused to engage withthe inner or middle portions or the flat surfaces 41 of the fasteners 4that are spaced from the corners 42 of the fasteners 4, and will not beengaged with the corners 42 of the fasteners 4, such that the drivinghead 3 may also be used to rotate or to drive the fasteners 4 havingrounded or worn out corners 42, as shown in FIGS. 6, 14.

[0036] Referring next to FIGS. 15 and 16, the driving socket or thewrench socket 5 may also include a body or a head having an enclosedopening 31 as that of the head 3, and may also include six corner spaces32 and six cambered bulges 33 extended or provided in the enclosedopening 31 thereof. The wrench socket 5 may be rotated or driven by thedriving shank 71 of the wrench tools 7, and the cambered bulges 33 mayalso be used to engage with the inner or middle portions of the flatsurfaces 41 of the fasteners 4 that are spaced from the corners 42 ofthe fasteners 4, such that the wrench socket 5 may also be used torotate or to drive the fasteners 4 having rounded or worn out corners42.

[0037] With reference to FIGS. 7, 15, and 16, a wrench 8 comprises afirst head 81 at one end and the head having an opening 82; arectangular driving shank 71 inserted into the opening 82 of the firsthead 8 and one end of the rectangular driving shank 71 protruding fromthe opening 82 of the head 7;

[0038] A driving cylindrical member 5 with an inner hole 51; upper sideof the inner hole 51 being a hexagonal hole; a lower side of the drivingcylindrical member 5 being engaged with the rectangular driving shank,

[0039] The hexagonal hole has six sides, each side being formed as adrive surface; the connection between two drive surfaces are cambered toreduce into the wall of the driving cylindrical member; and each sidehave two outward cambered bulges;

[0040] In any cross section area across a plane cut through an axis ofthe cylindrical shank; each side of the hexagonal hole is formed by aplurality of cambered bulges so that no straight portion and sharpportion is formed on the cross section; thereby, any object within thecylindrical member will not be damaged as a force applied to the wrenchis too larger.

[0041] There are two cambered bulges. One steep protrusion can belocated between two cambered bulges. The driving cylindrical member is adriving socket.

[0042] Accordingly, the wrench in accordance with the present inventionincludes a wrench opening for engaging with the flat surfaces of thefasteners instead of engaging with the corners of the fasteners, and forallowing the wrench to drive the fasteners when the corners of thefasteners are rounded or have been worn out.

[0043] Although this invention has been described with a certain degreeof particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by may of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wrench cooperating with a fastener, thefastener having a plurality of surfaces joint each other at respectivecorners of the fastener, the wrench comprising: a driving cylindricalmember including an enclosed opening formed therein and having sixcorner spaces and six sides provided therein, said six sides of saiddriving cylindrical member each including two cambered bulges formed andprovided therein for engaging with the surfaces of the fastener, and arecess formed between said cambered bulges respectively.
 2. The wrenchaccording to claim 1, wherein between two said cambered bulges isinstalled with a projection which has a size smaller than that of eachcambered bulge and has a cambered end.
 3. The wrench according to claim1, wherein said driving cylindrical member is a driving socket.
 4. Thewrench according to claim 1, wherein said wrench includes a handlehaving a first and a second ends, and having said driving cylindricalmember disposed on said first end of said handle, and having a headprovided on said second end of said handle, said head includes an openopening formed and defined between two parallel wrench flats, and twocambered bulges extended from each of said wrench flats of said headrespectively, and a recess formed between said cambered bulges of saidhead respectively, for allowing said cambered bulges of said head toengage with a middle portion of the surface of the fastener that isspaced from the corners of the fastener.
 5. The wrench according to 4,wherein two said cambered bulges of said head is installed with aprojection which has a size smaller than that of each cambered bulge andhas a cambered end.
 6. A wrench comprising: a first head at one end andthe head having an opening; a rectangular driving shank inserted intosaid opening of the first head and one end of the rectangular drivingshank protruding from the opening of the head; a driving cylindricalmember with an inner hole; an upper side of the inner hole being ahexagonal hole; a lower side of said driving cylindrical member beingengaged with said rectangular driving shank, wherein the hexagonal holehas six sides, each side being formed as a drive surface; a connectionbetween two drive surfaces is cambered to reduce into the wall of thedriving cylindrical member; and each side have two outward camberedbulges; wherein in any cross section area across a plane cut through anaxis of the cylindrical shank; each side of the hexagonal hole is formedby a plurality of cambered bulges so that no straight portion and sharpportion is formed on the cross section; thereby, an object within thecylindrical member will not be damaged as a force applied to the wrenchis too larger.
 7. The wrench according to claim 6, wherein there are twocambered bulges on each side of the hexagonal hole.
 8. The wrenchaccording to claim 6, wherein between two said cambered bulges isinstalled with a projection which has a size smaller than that of eachcambered bulge and has a cambered end.
 9. The wrench according to claim6, wherein said driving cylindrical member is a driving socket.